A careers site needs to pack a punch in order to convert passive and potential candidates into applicants, and that's no easy feat. You must be ready with a compelling answer to the question “Why should someone work for my organization?” For most businesses, their corporate careers page is their most important channel for posting vacancies. In fact, two out of every ten candidates changed from their last job because they approached a company directly, even though they were not actively looking for a job at all. And according to Recruiting Trends 2020, the top 1,000 companies in Germany are publishing 86.4% of job postings on their careers site.
This increased popularity of careers sites comes down to one thing: job seekers are researchers. Before even considering your open roles, many will spend a great deal of time on multiple online platforms looking for insight on what it’s like to work at your company. The more information they can find about this directly from your website, the better. To grab their attention and keep them interested in your page, use a powerful thought-provoking headline along with visual aids, like images, infographics, animations, and videos. For instance, if you are recruiting for specific roles, include information about what a day in the life of that employee would look like.
Now that you have their attention, you can address that question of “Why should they work here?” From our experience, candidates get this answer from strong employer branding weaved into the careers page. 80% of talent acquisition managers believe that employer branding has a significant impact on the ability to hire great talent. When job seekers have a better sense of what the culture at your organization is like, what the goals and values are, and what the future trajectory of the business looks like, they will immediately know whether they'd be passionate about contributing to that journey. Here are some ways you can use your careers page to attract candidates that align better with your organization:
Add personality
Use your careers page to tell the story of your company. Your careers page needs to have crystal clear messaging that conveys the uniqueness of your corporate culture and clarifies what qualities your company prioritizes (e.g. teamwork, diversity, and integrity).
Use the “human” element
In a way, your employees are your brand ambassadors. Throw the spotlight on them—their stories, photos, videos, and testimonials. Candidates will relate better if they see people who are around the same level as they are or who are doing a similar role.
Engaging your visitors
The best careers pages are dynamic. These days, attention spans are short and no one has the patience for endless text. To grab the attention of top quality candidates, use lists, headings, powerful words, infographics, and images.
Mobile-responsive
Reach a wider range of candidates with a mobile-friendly careers page that includes readable font, user-friendly forms, and clear content that's balanced with eye-catching visuals. Include a form where job seekers can apply directly, but be sure to stick to only those questions that are strictly relevant to speed up the process. Try your best to minimize your page’s loading speed to avoid bounces.
Design for accessibility and user experience
Remember to aim for minimalism. Well-written content with adequate white space is friendlier to the reader’s eye. Aim to follow UI and UX best practices to design something that is both simple and sleek. Are you a tech company? News agency? Good content, functionality, and design are key ingredients of a successful careers page.
Brand identity in job postings
Are you a tech company? News agency? Automobile manufacturer? A strong employer brand can help optimize an organization’s recruitment strategies, and attract more right-fit hires.
Automated hiring process
Recruiting software can make your careers site and overall hiring process much more effective. It’s especially effective to have a full-scale talent acquisition solution with a robust candidate portal.
Encouraging candidate diversity
Promote your diverse workplace to prove that diversity is a real priority at your company and that you make a conscious effort to combat bias.
Another thing to consider is what job seekers will find first when they look your company up. Did you have significant growth last quarter? What is the impression of your organization on social media? These days if your company is in the headlines, job seekers will be aware in no time. It's up to you to ensure that they're finding compelling information that piques their interest so they feel more excited about the possibility of joining your workplace. A lot of that starts with your careers site.
Ask yourself the following questions:
Do you regularly update your list of all current job openings?
Do you advertise your company's culture and values to make the right applicants curious?
Is your careers page visible, accessible, and aesthetically pleasing on a diverse range of devices?
Can applicants apply quickly through clear CTAs on your website?
Is it possible for candidates to send in unsolicited applications and have them reviewed through a candidate portal?
Does your recruiting process meet regulatory standards like EEO, OFCCP, and GDPR?
In order to succeed at this game, taking an agile approach is important. Job seekers move quickly, and it's easy to lose their attention. Therefore, many businesses have adopted recruitment software for seamless hiring and onboarding. A great hiring system will make your careers page the anchor of your ATS recruitment strategy.
Final thoughts
Without a doubt, we can say that a careers page is the ultimate place to not only display open roles, but to showcase your brand, values, and mission. Put yourself in the shoes of a potential candidate to learn about the audience you're talking to, much like you would if you were marketing to potential customers. By developing more engaging content, regularly providing updates on recent news, and highlighting key business achievements so job seekers can hear it straight from the source, you build trust with each visitor to your careers page and increase the chances of landing a top-quality match for your organization.